Mirror
by Liefkai
Summary: Vernyl is a fifteen-year-old boy living in Galbatorix's capitol, Urû'baen. His life is about to change dramatically, his fate intertwined with Eragon's. There is no turning back. Look through the mirror to the other side of the war, the Empire's.
1. Urû'baen

**Author's Note:**

**Hey peeps, this is probably my first LIGIT fanfic. Meaning it acctually has characters from the original story and it won't die out after the first chapter (HOPEFULLY). So, enjoy my Inheritance Cycle parallel about an Empire soldier. REVIEW!**

Vernyl looked up from the vegetables he was chopping to see his elder sister, Meslin, and her infant son, Irone, sitting on the kitchen floor and laughing and playing together. It was so strange, how in such dark times there could be such innocent happiness. To his left, Vernyl saw his brother-in-law, Charance, staring at his wife and son in despair. Meslin and Charance had been married last spring and had had their child in the fall. Charance was upset because he had yet to provide a home for his family. They still lived in Vernyl and Meslin's mother's house. Vernyl knew it killed Charance to not be able to provide for his family, but it was indeed dark times, so he was working low wages as a tax collector in their city, Urû'baen. It was either that or go join Galbatorix in the war.

Vernyl's mother sat in a rocking chair in the other room, humming eerily and knitting something. Meslin and Vernyl's father had passed away before Vernyl was born. Meslin says that ever since then, their mother, Irene, had been slightly… disturbed. They had taken care of each other, mostly, while Irene simply sat there and knitted, humming her same old tune. Vernyl was often enraged at their mother for treating her children like this, but he had forgiven her. He did not know what it was like to lose their father, because he had never even known him. Meslin had seemed to turn out fine, though.

Vernyl was about fifteen-years-old. He would go away and try to find a job soon, probably as a tax collector like Charance. But honestly, Vernyl wanted to leave Urû'baen badly. He hated the capitol city, living so close to their tyrant, Galbatorix. It was also always buzzing with abusive soldiers and disturbed-looking creatures, all fighting for Galbatorix in the war. Maybe Vernyl could become a merchant of some sort, traveling the lands selling his goods. But that was unlikely. Once you were in Urû'baen it was hard to leave. You knew too much.

Charance broke Vernyl's thoughts when he spoke. "I've heard rumor among the tax collectors that a Dragon Rider has appeared." The room fell silent. Even Irene stopped humming and looked over at Charance.

"How can this be?" Meslin asked, astonished, "I thought Galbatorix killed them all?"

"I thought so too," Charance replied, "But apparently not. I don't know if any more eggs exist, or any more Riders for that matter. Rumor also has it that this Rider killed thousands of Kull _and _slew a shade."

Vernyl pondered his brother-in-law's words in awe. A Dragon Rider... He'd never even heard tales of them before. He only knew that Galbatorix was the last Rider with his demon black dragon. Now another Rider existed? It seemed almost impossible. He also obviously apposed Galbatorix. This would explain why Galbatorix had drafted so many soldiers into battle recently.

"But… this is impossible," Vernyl spoke up, utterly confused.

"I believe it to be true. Rumors like that wouldn't spread so far if it weren't true. Galbatorix would have put a stop to such treacherous words long ago if it were false," Charance said confidently.

Another Rider… Did this mean that the Varden actually stood a chance against the Empire? Vernyl didn't know. But he silently hoped it did. He knew such thoughts were treasonous and Galbatorix would kill him without hesitation if he knew what Vernyl was thinking right now. But he hated Galbatorix. He was a horrible ruler who only cared about power and had a lust for blood. He didn't care about the prosperity of his people, like a good leader should. Vernyl hoped that this Rider would have a better heart than him… Otherwise they were all doomed.


	2. Drafted

Suddenly there was a pounding that echoed through the small house and rung through Vernyl's ears ominously.

"I will get it," Meslin offered, getting up from the kitchen floor and walking towards their wooden door. Charance walked over to where she had sat and swept Irone up into his arms. The small child giggled and played with his father's hair.

Meslin opened the small opening in the door so she could just see the visitor's eyes. "Who is it?" she asked kindly.

"Open up," a gruff voice that sent a chill down Vernyl's spine answered.

"Who is this?" Meslin repeated, a bit frightened, but didn't show it, a hardened expression on her face.

Suddenly there was a loud crash and the door broke down, flinging Meslin into the wall behind her. She screamed and Charance hastily put the crying Irone down and rushed to her side.

Soldiers in their scarlet clothing poured into the house. Their leader, the man with the gruff voice, stood up straight in front of the men and declared in a bellowing voice, "Be there any youthful and healthy men in this house able to serve our great and all-powerful king in the war? Speak now if you have an ounce of courage. Or you can cower in your home and we will have to take you."

Vernyl was frozen in spot. He swore he couldn't move a limb or utter a word, even if he tried. Irene was still murmuring to herself and knitting, Irone was sobbing and Charance knelt by Meslin who was biting her lip to not show her pain, the back of her head coated with blood. The soldier's captain stared at Vernyl expectantly.

The frozen moment was abruptly broken as Charance stood and shoved the captain. "You're the coward! You filthy slime, hurting women and making children cry! I wouldn't serve in this forsaken war even if—" The flow of the man's word's was cut off in a flash of silver as a soldier whisked out his blade and decapitated Charance in a swift movement. The soldiers snickered. For the first time Meslin stopped trying to hide her pain and let out a horrible cry of unexplainable sorrow. Irone joined her, increasing the volume of his ceaseless sobs. Even Irene began to cry softly to herself. Vernyl still couldn't move a muscle.

"Take the boy!" The captain ordered, and soldiers rushed to Vernyl and bound him and dragged him out of his home, away from Charance's corpse and his family and everything he loved. Everything was a daze. He hardly even knew who he was. Much less what had just happened.


End file.
